


The Fear Cage

by fallenangel218



Category: NCIS
Genre: Drama, Gen, Graphic Imagery, Horror, Suspense, supenatural - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 13:17:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3328082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenangel218/pseuds/fallenangel218
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the MCRT investigates the mysterious murder of a Petty Officer, something unseen preys on the team. Can the MCRT push aside their worst fears and solve the case?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There wasn’t much that could render the entire MCRT speechless. The crime scene before them, however, stopped them all in their tracks.

The team had been summoned to a warehouse in Anacostia to investigate the murder of a Petty Officer. No one was expecting to see the sickening amount of blood on the floor of that loading area. Tony stood frozen, camera in hand, as he stared at the symbol on the ground underneath the Petty Officer’s body. The most disconcerting thing was the Petty Officer’s face. It was frozen as if he were screaming in terror.

_What in the hell happened here?_

Tim stood motionless, holding a sketchpad in his shaking hand. It wasn’t as if he’d never seen blood before – God knows he has – but _this –_ it was beyond anything he could have imagined in his nightmares. The Petty Officer was white as a ghost, and there seemed to be gallons of blood – everywhere.

Ziva had seen much blood and death in Mossad, but nothing prepared her for the sight before her. The blood and the symbols drawn on the ground sent a shiver up her spine. She could have sworn she felt a cold sensation coarse through her body. She jumped a mile when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and spun around on the offensive. She relaxed when she realized it was Gibbs who had touched her.

“What in the hell – “

“That is what we are all thinking, Gibbs.”

Gibbs stared out at the devastation in front of him. What on God’s green earth could have caused all of _this?_

“L-let’s get to work,” he managed to fumble out. Ziva was the only one who was able to move. “DiNozzo! McGee! Now!”

DiNozzo came out of his trance first, and started to snap pictures. Tim came out of it moments later, and shakily started to sketch the symbols on the ground. He’d picked up some art lessons from Kate years back, and often brought a sketchbook to the crime scene, as he’d seen her do. The symbols were starting to give him a feeling of dread as he continued to sketch them.

“What have we – Oh my God…”

Everyone looked up to see Jimmy Palmer standing in the entryway, gripping the side of a gurney. He looked pale. Gibbs, who was speaking to the responding officer on scene, stopped and made his way to Jimmy.

“You all right, Palmer?”

“I—I think so.”

“Where’s Ducky?”

“Not well,” Palmer replied, trying to push back the sudden fear that had enveloped him. “He’s back at NCIS—Agent Gibbs, what happened here?”

“I was hoping you could help us with that, Palmer.”

“I—it looks like all of the blood has been drained from his body,” Palmer said, looking over the scene. “He’s been – exsanguinated.”

Gibbs regarded Palmer's statement with unease.

_Who in the hell are we looking for?_

**NCISNCISNCIS**

It took the MCRT some time to process everything and get what was left of the body into the Autopsy van. Tim and Ziva had taken as many blood samples as possible to take to Abby for processing. When they were finished, Tim climbed into the back of the truck, while Ziva and Tony took the front with Gibbs.

Tim sat against the side of the van, knees to his chest. He clutched the sketchbook in his hands the entire ride back, as if someone were going to take the drawings away from him. The anxiety within him was intense… immense feelings of dread consumed his mind. His eyes darted nervously around the darkness. He had the feeling he wasn’t alone back there. The truck hit a bump, and Tim was immediately transported to another place in his mind. He was being shoved over a cliff, and he was falling fast… he tried to reach his hands toward the person who had pushed him, toward the edge of the cliff, but it got further and further away from him. Tim opened his mouth to scream, right before everything went black,

~*~*~*~*~

A piercing scream from the back of the van startled the three passengers in the front seat. Gibbs pulled the truck over and leapt out, bolting for the back of the truck. Tony and Ziva were on his heels. He ripped open the back door and found Tim lying on the floor of the truck, unmoving.

Gibbs got into the truck and slowly knelt at Tim’s side.

“Tim,” he said gently, reaching out to touch his Agent’s shoulder. He didn’t move, and Gibbs shook him harder. “Tim! Wake up, damn it!”

“Help!” Tim shouted, shooting up into a sitting position. Upon feeling Gibbs’ arms restraining him, he began to fight.

“Calm down, McGee! It’s all right!” Gibbs said, “You’re all right!”

Almost instantaneously, Tim started to calm down. He blinked a few times, and looked at Gibbs, who was still on his knees right next to him.

“What happened to you, McGee?” Gibbs asked as Tim took a few breaths.

“I-I have no idea…”

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 2

**  
**Tim refused to let his friends call an ambulance, insisting that he was fine. Gibbs didn’t believe him, and instructed Ziva to ride in the back with him the rest of the way to the Navy Yard. He put his back to the side of the van, chest heaving. Ziva was seated across from him.

“What did you see?” she asked him gently.

Tim shook his head, clutching the notebook closer to his chest. Ziva noticed it when they had first discovered him, but thought nothing of it, until now.

“You can tell me anything, McGee. We are friends, yes?”

He nodded shakily.

“Then you can tell me. It will be easier to tell me than Gibbs.”

“You’re right.”

His voice was weak and shaky. It made her uneasy to see him this shaken up.

“I remember feeling nervous… really nervous. I felt like someone was in here with me. Then… I was somewhere else. I was falling. I tried to reach out, grab the person looking down at me, but I—I couldn’t…”

A tear made its way down Tim’s face, and he wiped it away.

“I was terrified, Ziva. I thought I was going to die. It was so _real._ ”

“It was not real. Keep remembering that and you will be all right, my friend.”

“Thanks, Ziva.”

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Jimmy backed the truck into the Autopsy garage, and killed the engine. He couldn’t wait to get out of that truck, and away from the body. The idea of being alone with it sent chills up his spine. He took a few breaths to steady himself, before making his way to the back of the truck. Taking another deep breath, he opened the doors wide. The body was still there, as it should be. Jimmy reached in and started to pull out the gurney, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked up to see the face of the dead Officer, staring at him.

Jimmy screamed and dropped the gurney. It clanged to the floor of the garage as he stumbled backward about ten feet, and came to his senses. The body, still zipped up in the body bag, was hanging out of the back of the Autopsy van, half on the gurney. He heard the doors open off to his left, and footsteps coming his way. Moments later, Ducky and McGee appeared.

“What on earth happened, Mr. Palmer?” Ducky asked as McGee secured the body onto the gurney again.

“I—I don’t know… I was taking the body out of the truck, and I saw—“ Jimmy took off his glasses and wiped his face with the towel Ducky had given him. “I saw his face. He was sitting up in the back of the truck. For a split second, I thought he was alive. I dropped the gurney and jumped back. That’s when I realized—“

“That you were hallucinating,” Ducky finished.

“It seemed so real,” Jimmy said, staring at the gurney.

“Let me bring our friend inside and get him situated. Why don’t you and Timothy start a pot of tea in my office, and relax.”

Jimmy nodded, and Ducky made his way to the gurney. Tim joined him a second later.

“I believe you, Jimmy.”

“You do?”

“I saw something in the truck on the way back. Gibbs found me unconscious. Had to shake me out of it.”

“Wow, are you all right?”

“I think so. It was just so…”

“Real,” Jimmy finished.

“Yeah.”

Jimmy was still visibly shaken.

“Come on Jimmy, let’s go make that tea.”

“Good idea.”

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Tim talked with Ducky and Jimmy for a bit, as they had tea. Ducky reassured them that what they had experienced was a reaction to a gruesome crime scene. After a bit, Jimmy had recovered enough to help Ducky with the autopsy. Tim retreated before the body bag was unzipped, not keen on being in the presence of the body any longer. He made his way up to the squad room, where Tony was dancing about, holding the clicker to the plasma.

“What did I miss?” he said, approaching the group.

“Petty Officer John Kimball, age 27,” Tony said, theatrically clicking through the pages on the screen. “Last seen when his ship came to port, about a week ago. He didn’t come back from leave, and his CO reported him UA.”

“How did he go from UA to – well- what Ducky has in Autopsy?” Tim asked.

“Why don’t we get to work and find out?” Gibbs said gruffly as he came into the bullpen behind the two.

“On it, Boss.”

“Yes, Boss.”

**NCISNCISNCIS**

The day was uneventful. They’d gotten nowhere with Kimball’s credit cards or background, and certainly nothing to explain the occult symbols they’d found. He’d shown his drawings to Abby. Even she was disconcerted when she saw the drawings and photographs. She couldn’t find anything anywhere about the symbols.

Gibbs sat back in his desk chair and rubbed his eyes. It was nearing 11 pm, and he was exhausted. Tony was asleep at his desk, and McGee was still typing away, looking over-caffeinated. He shut his eyes for a moment, to try to wake himself up.

_An explosion made him snap his eyes open. There was fire all around him. Tony was lying still on his desk, flames shooting up from his body. Tim was trying to get away from his desk, and failing. Gibbs sprang up from his chair and started to move toward Tim’s desk. Every way he moved, a wall of flames shot up in front of him, blocking his way._

_“Boss! Help!” Tim shouted, reaching for Gibbs. Gibbs stood amongst the flames, watching them engulf Tim… he was helpless to stop him. He could hear his Agent’s cries fading._

“Boss!”

Gibbs jumped out of his chair and looked around the squad room. Everything was as it should be. Tony and Tim were standing in front of his desk, looking worried.

“Are you all right?” Tony asked.

Gibbs took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his face.

“I’m not sure…”

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

“What the hell happened, Boss?” Tony asked.

“Nothing. I’m fine, DiNozzo. Get back to work. Find that psycho.”

“On it.”

Gibbs fell back into his chair. Tim was still standing by his desk.

“Don’t you have work to do, McGee?”

“You saw something, didn’t you?” Tim asked.

Gibbs looked up at him. Tim was being deadly serious. He knew he wouldn’t get a moment’s peace unless he answered the question.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Get back to work.”

“Boss—“

“Back to work! Find that killer!” Gibbs shouted angrily.

Tim turned and went back to his desk. As he brought up his search program, he averted his eyes to Gibbs. He was concerned that whatever his Boss had seen had shaken him up badly. He got confirmation when Gibbs got up moments later, and headed for the rear elevator.

“What do you think got the Boss so nervous?”

Tim looked up to see Tony staring at him.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen him like this before.”

“It’s all too hinky for me,” Tony said, getting out of his chair with the clicker in his hand. He brought up the crime scene photos on the screen, to get a closer look. “McGoogle, can you find this symbol online?” When Tim didn’t respond, Tony glanced over to find him staring at the screen, unmoving. “McGee! You there?”

Tim came out of his trance a moment later.

“What the hell was that about, Probie?”

“I-I’m sorry. I’m not really sure.”

Tony put down the clicker and turned his attention to Tim.

“Are you all right, Tim?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

“Let’s just do this, okay? I’ll be all right!”

Tony stood there for a second, then turned and picked up the clicker.

“Any luck with the symbols yet, Tim?”

“No. Abby and I have been searching everywhere. There’s nothing out there anywhere on these symbols.”

“There’s got to be _some_ kind of occult website you haven’t checked. Doesn’t Abby know all about this stuff?”

“Not _that_ much, Tony.”

“Whatever.”

Tim got up from his seat.

“I’m going to go down and see if Abby can tell me anything more about these symbols,” he took the sketchpad from his desk and went toward the elevator.

The empty elevator was a great reprieve from the overwhelming anxiety he was having over this case. He leaned back against the elevator and opened up the sketchbook to look at the symbols. What was it about these symbols that drew him in?

Suddenly, the elevator lurched to a halt.

“What the—“

Before he could finish his sentence, he felt the elevator card start dropping toward the bottom of the shaft. The sketchpad went flying out of his hand as he gripped the railing and did the only thing he could think of --- he screamed.

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Gibbs and Ducky could hear violent screaming as they stood in Autopsy, talking about the case.

“What on earth is that?” Ducky said aloud.

“It’s coming from the hallway,” Gibbs said, walking quickly to the door. He heard the elevator ding, and walked toward it. Tim was plastered against the back wall of the elevator, a terrified look on his face. He was screaming as if he were going to die. Gibbs stepped into the elevator with him, while Ducky locked the doors into an open position.

“McGee, it’s Gibbs. Can you hear me?”

Tim stood there in shock, as if Gibbs weren’t there.

_Or maybe he thinks he’s somewhere else…_

“McGee! Talk to me!”

Suddenly, Tim’s body went slack, and he sank toward the elevator floor. Gibbs caught him on the way down.

“Ducky! I need your help!”

Ducky appeared at Tim’s side.

“What’s wrong with him?” Gibbs asked as he lay Tim gently on the floor.

“He’s in shock, Jethro. We need to get him to a hospital.”

“I’ll make the call.”

“Bring back a blanket from my office as well,” Ducky instructed. He checked Tim’s vitals, and found that he was indeed breathing. Gibbs came back moments later.

“Ambulance is on the way.” He covered Tim with the blanket. “How in the hell did this happen?” Gibbs asked.

“I wish I knew, Jethro. Everyone is acting strangely today. You, Timothy, Mr. Palmer. It seems to be centering around this strange case you’re investigating.”

“This is more than a hallucination, Ducky—“ Gibbs stopped talking abruptly, and cautiously started looking around the hallway.

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure. I feel something here – like a presence. Only it’s—“

“What?”

“It’s evil.”

“Oh, my.”

**NCISNCISNCISNCIS**

Tony looked up when he heard the elevator ding, expecting Tim. Instead, Gibbs walked out with a concerned expression on his face.

“What’s up, Boss? Where’s McGee? He went to Abby’s lab over an hour ago.”

“McGee is on his way to the hospital.”

“Hospital? Is he all right? What happened?”

“I’m not sure. The elevator opened down at Autopsy, and he was holding onto the railing as if—oh my God—“

“What, Boss.”

“McGee thought the elevator was going to crash. That’s the only explanation for the way he was standing when I found him.”

“The elevator was going to _what?_ ”

“Get rid of all of these symbols,” Gibbs suddenly said, thrusting Tim’s sketchbook at Tony. "I don’t want them anywhere near this building. Shred them if you need to. Just get rid of them.”

“You don’t think a bunch of creepy symbols have been doing all of this, do you?”

“Just do it, DiNozzo!”

“Yes, Boss.”

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Gibbs drove to the hospital in record time. A nurse directed him to McGee’s room. Tim was still unconscious. He had tubes in his nose, to help him breathe, but other than that, he looked like he was merely sleeping.

“Can I sit with him a while?” he asked the nurse.

“Sure thing, honey. Take all the time you need.”

“Thanks.”

The nurse left the room. Gibbs made his way across the room, and pulled up a chair next to Tim’s bed.

“Whatever this is, I’m going to stop it. I promise.”

Gibbs started to feel as if the room were getting colder. He zipped up his jacket and sat back in the chair. He wanted to close his eyes, but he was terrified of what he might see. He started to shiver.

_Is the heat on in here?_

Gibbs got up to check the thermostat. It was set at 63. As he reached to reset it, he saw it drop – about ten degrees.

“What the hell?”

There was a commotion behind him. He turned quickly, thinking Tim had fallen out of bed. What he saw instead made him think he had to be dreaming – at least he _hoped_ it was all a bad dream, and he’d wake up on his couch.

Every cupboard along the wall was hanging open, and all of the medical supplies were on the floor. He looked up in time to see what looked like a dark mass, hovering over Tim as he slept.

“Leave him alone!” Gibbs yelled. “Get away from him!” He ran toward the bed, waving his arms around frantically. The mass did not move. There was only one other thing he could think of. Maybe he’d been watching too much _Ghost Hunters_ before he went to sleep. He just hoped it worked. He rushed for the light switch, and flipped on every light in the room. The black mass shrunk away, into the floor, and was gone.

Gibbs looked over at Tim. He’d grown paler than before, and his monitor was reading a lower heart rate. Whatever that thing was, it was sucking the life out of Tim. Just then, the heart monitor started beeping out of control.

“Tim!”

**TBC…**


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

 

Gibbs ran for the emergency button next to Tim’s bed and jammed his finger into it as hard as he could. Within seconds there were medical staff surrounding the young agent’s hospital bed. Gibbs stood back by the door, watching. It took a bit of time, but the doctor finally got Tim’s vitals back to a somewhat normal level. Gibbs let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, as the doctor turned to him.   
  
“Agent Gibbs, what happened in here?” the doctor demanded, motioning to both Tim’s monitor and the mess on the floor.  
  
“I’m still trying to figure that out myself. I’ll make sure this gets cleaned up.”    
  
“And Agent McGee?”   


“I have no idea, honestly. He was fine one minute, and the next…”    
  


“Okay, we’ll continue to monitor him. The second anything else happens, let someone know immediately, okay?”    
  


“I will.”    
  


The doctor left the room. The nurse fiddled with Tim’s IV and left shortly after the doctor.    
 

Gibbs started to clean up the mess that the entity left behind. As he picked up the medical supplies, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He dropped everything on the counter and took out his phone.   
 

“Gibbs.”    
  


_ “Boss, we have a problem.”  _   
  


“What’s the matter,  DiNozzo ?”   
  
_“It’s Ziva . She went berserk. She was hallucinating. She thinks she’s still in Mossad. It took me, Balboa and  McAvoy to restrain her.” _   
 

“Where is she now?”    
  


_ “Ducky has her down in autopsy. We uh, handcuffed her to a table. Boss, she thinks we are the enemy. She nearly stabbed me to death.”  _   
  


Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face. What in the hell was happening to his team?    
  


“Did you get rid of those symbols,  DiNozzo?” _  
_

_ “I shredded all of the pictures, and Abby deleted all of the images from her computer, except for what she saved on a flash drive for evidence.” _   
  


“Get rid of the flash drive,  DiNozzo . I want those symbols gone!”    
  


_ “I’ll have Abby destroy it.” _   
  


“Do it fast.”    
  


Gibbs hung up and continued to clean up the mess. Tim’s monitors beeped faithfully. As he worked, he said a silent prayer for Tim. He wasn’t allowed to die. He  _ would  _ wake up.     
  


** NCISNCISNCIS **   
  


Tony hung up his desk phone and looked around the bullpen. He was the only one of the MCRT left. A chill ran up Tony’s spine as he recalled the incident with  Ziva . She had a look in her eyes that he’d never seen before, and hoped to never see again. It made him wonder exactly what she did with Mossad. 

His phone brought him back from his musings, and he shakily answered it.

“ DiNozzo .”   
  


_ “Tony! I need your help! Hurry!”    
 _

“What’s the matter,  Abby ?” Tony said quickly, jumping out of his chair.    
 

_ “I’m not sure! Hurry! I’m scared!”    
 _

“I’m coming, Abby! Go into your office and lock the door until I get there.”    
  


_ “But that’s where the demon is!” _   
  


“Where the  _ what  _ is?”    
  


_ “Just get your ass down here!” _   
  


“OK I’m coming. Hang tight.”    
  


Tony hung up and grabbed his gun from his drawer  – he wasn ’ t sure what for  – and rushed to the stairwell. He didn’t have time to wait for the elevator. He bolted down the stairs and rammed through the door at the Lab level. He ran as fast as he could to the lab. The doors seemed to be locked. He saw Abby cowering in the corner. He pounded on the glass for Abby to let him in. She ran over to her console and pressed the button. Nothing happened.    
  


“Abby! Open the door!” He shouted, pounding his fists on the glass with all of his strength.    
  


“It won’t open!” she shouted back. Her eyes moved toward her office, and Tony saw them suddenly go wide. He turned as her office door slid open, and he saw it. There was a black mass, attempting to take a human shape as it came closer to Abby. Terrified, Tony pounded on the door.    
  


“Abby!”     
  


“It’s coming! Tony, help! It’s coming for me!”    
  


Tony took a couple of steps back and tried to fire at the glass. The bullets had no effect.    
  


“God damn it! Bulletproof!”     
  


He saw the black mass getting closer and closer to Abby, who was still backing away from it. She suddenly ran out of room, and was pinned against Major Mass Spec. The black mass approached her slowly.     
  
“Abby! No!” Tony pounded furiously on the door as he watched the black mass surround Abby, until he could no longer see her. He could hear her piercing screams over the heavy metal music blasting in the lab.    
 

“Abby!” he screamed, futilely pounding his fists on the glass. He watched as the mass started to dissipate. At first, he thought the mass was just going away on its own. After a moment, Abby’s body came into view. She was lying on the floor, unconscious. He watched in horror as the black mass entered Abby’s body.    
  


“No! Get away from her!” Tony yelled from the other side of the glass. The mass ignored Tony, and seconds later, it had fully immersed itself in Abby’s body. At that moment, the door slid open. Tony ran in. Abby was sitting up, looking at him. She blinked a few times, as if adjusting to the light. Tony froze in his tracks when he saw her eyes.    
  


Abby’s eyes were solid black.    
  


“Get out of her,” Tony said angrily.  
  


“I like this body,” the demon replied in a deep, menacing voice. “I will stay for a while.” The demon got to its feet and started moving toward Tony, who started to back away.    
  


“What the hell do you want?” Tony asked, terrified.    
  


“You have given us what we want,” the demon replied. “We are free, and we are hungry.”     
  


“Stay the hell away from me!” Tony yelled as he stumbled backward toward the door. The demon was moving toward him faster. He was almost to the door, when the demon jumped up, sailed five feet forward toward him, and latched onto his throat. Tony didn’t want to hurt Abby, but he couldn’t allow the demon to feed on him. He shoved the demon backward, and it stumbled and fell, still not accustomed to its human form. Tony stepped out of the lab, and the doors closed. He fished into his suit pocket and brought out his mother’s crucifix. He wasn’t sure why he’d chosen to carry it with him that day, but he was glad he did. He held it up against  the glass, and the demon stopped.   


The crucifix was keeping the demon from exiting the lab.     
  


Tony rolled up his sleeve and tore off a piece of the medical tape from the wound inflicted by Ziva, and stuck the crucifix to the glass. With that, he pressed the radiation alarm, sealing off the lab and preventing the door from accidentally sliding open. The alarm brought Balboa, who was just getting off the elevator.    
  


“What the hell happened?” Balboa shouted.    
  


“Remember what happened to Ziva?”    
 

Balboa nodded.    
  


“It happened to Abby. I need you to stay here and watch her. Do not open that door for any reason until I get back.”     
  


“All right,  DiNozzo . I’ll play along.”    
  


“It’s not a game, Balboa!”    
  


“All right! Go! But get your ass back here quickly!”    
  


“Thanks, I owe you one.”    
  


“Noted. Go!”    
  


Tony took off toward the stairs. He had to get to autopsy. If there were multiple demons, he had to get to Ducky and Jimmy first.

** TBC…  **

  



	5. Chapter 5

Tony burst through the stairwell door and bolted for Autopsy.  

"Ducky! Jimmy!" he shouted as he entered Autopsy.

"In here, Tony!" came Palmer's voice from Ducky's office. Ziva was still out cold on one of the Autopsy tables. Her wrists were handcuffed to either side of the table, to keep her from injuring anyone else. Tony ran to Ducky's office. Jimmy was on the couch, knees pulled up to his chest, shaking. Ducky was leaning over an open book on his desk.

"Are you guys all right?"

"Fine for now," Ducky said. 

"Thank God."

Ducky noticed the fear in Tony's voice.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm not sure how to explain this, but it's Abby -- she's--possessed."

"Like, by a demon?" Jimmy asked shakily.

"Yeah. I saw it with my own eyes.  What In the  _ hell  _ is going on here!" Tony shouted in anguish. 

"I have been reading from an old book I happened to have lying around. It was a gift from an old friend. It's a demonology book." 

"What does it say?"

"We need to exorcise the demon, or demons. It's the only way to get rid of them. We also need to destroy any symbols that are still lying around, that will invite them back to this world."

"How do we exorcise a demon?" Tony asked. 

"There is an incantation of some sort printed here. We're supposed to say it in the demon's presence."

Tony looked out into Autopsy, at Ziva, who was lying still on the Autopsy table.

"Do you think one is in Ziva?" he asked Ducky.

"Possibly… her behavior earlier is not normal in the slightest."

"Should we test the incantation on her?"

"It's worth a try." 

Ducky moved toward the door.

"Mr. Palmer, will you accompany us?"

"D-do I have to go near Ziva?"

"You may stand back, if you wish."

"Okay. I'll come." 

Jimmy got up and followed them out into Autopsy. He stood at a distance, while Tony got on one side of the table, and Ducky on the other, holding the book in his hand.

"Are you ready, Tony?"

"Go for it."

Ducky looked down at the book and began to read the incantation.

_ Exorcizamus  te ,  omnis  immundus  spiritus _

_ omnis  satanica  potestas ,  omnis incursio _

_ infernalis  adversarii ,  omnis legio , _

_ omnis  congregatio et  secta d iabolica . _

_ Ergo  draco maledicte _

_ et  omnis  legio diabolica _

_ adjuramus  te . _

_ Cessa decipere  humanas  creaturas , _

_ eisque  aeternae  Perditionis  venenum  propinare _

Ziva began to convulse on the table.  Tony instinctively wanted to put his hands on her, to help her, but he knew better than to touch a person in convulsions. He looked up at Ducky as he continued to read.  As the incantation  continued, Ziva started to thrash against her restraints, screaming in a low, guttural voice.  Tony took a step backward as Ziva's eyes turned a familiar black. 

_ Terribilis Deus de  sanctuario  suo . _

_ Deus  Israhel ipse  truderit  virtutem _

_ et  fortitudinem  plebi  Suae . _

_ Benedictus  deus . Gloria  patri . _

As soon as Ducky finished the incantation, Ziva arched her back and let out a guttural scream. Everyone looked on, frozen in their places, as black smoke rose from her body. The smoke billowed out of her, and was suspended in mid-air above them, before dissipating into nothing.

Ziva's body went slack on the Autopsy table. While Ducky and Palmer remained frozen, Tony inched forward. He had to make sure Ziva was all right. As he leaned over to check her vitals, her eyes snapped open, causing him to jump backward.

"Ziva?" he said, inching forward again.

Ziva turned her head toward Tony.

"Tony? Why am I handcuffed to a table in Autopsy?" 

Tony sighed with relief and moved forward to remove the handcuffs. 

"You were possessed."

"What? That has to be-- this is some kind of American joke?"

"I'm afraid it's no joke, my dear," Ducky interjected. "Those drawings from the crime scene seem to have brought a few demonic entities into our world. One of them found its way inside of you."

 Ziva sat up when Tony removed the second set of cuffs, and rubbed her bruised wrists. 

"I knew something was wrong when I saw that crime scene," she said with a shudder. "Am I the only one who was possessed?"

"I'm afraid Abby was possessed as well, and the other has attached itself to Timothy. Jethro seems to be keeping that one at bay."

Ziva tried to get off the table. Tony helped her to her feet.

"We need to get rid of these demons, fast. They're feeding on our fear. We need to get both of these things out of here, and fast." 

"You have a plan, don’t you?" Jimmy asked, grinning.

"Yep, and it's going to work. Trust me." He turned to Ducky. "Let me see that book." 

Ducky set the book down on the autopsy table, and Tony took a picture of the incantation with his cell phone.  

"Ducky, you and Ziva are going to take the book to the hospital. Gibbs is going to need it. Once that demon gets a firm grip on McGee, we might not be able to get him back." 

"Will do."

"Jimmy, you and I are going to go down to Abby's lab."

"But that thing - it's in Abby. Won't it attack us?" 

"I have another plan for that. Just trust me, okay?" 

Jimmy nodded. 

Ducky and Ziva took off for the Autopsy garage, while Tony and Jimmy headed for the elevator. Jimmy paced nervously in the elevator as it ascended to the lab level.

"I'm not so sure about this, Tony. What if we hurt Abby?"

"We're not going hurt her, Jimmy. I promise. And besides, Balboa should be waiting for me. Three against one is good odds." 

Jimmy smiled as the elevator door opened. They heard feral grunting and screaming as they stepped off. Balboa was cowering against the wall, across from the lab door. The demon, in Abby's body, was throwing itself against the glass, and shrieking in pain every time it did. The crucifix necklace was still stuck to the window.

"It's about time you get back,  DiNozzo . I'm getting my ass out of here."

"Don’t go! I could use your help, Don. Please." 

Balboa saw the desperation in the younger Agent's eyes. 

"All right. What can I do?" 

"We'll have to open the door. I want you and Jimmy to try and hold her down."

"I can do that." 

Tony turned to Jimmy.

"When I give the signal, I want you to take that cross off the glass, and hold onto it. While Balboa is holding her down, press that cross into her chest as hard as you can. Can you do that?"

"Won't that hurt her?"

"She'll be fine. Don’t worry."

"Okay. I'm ready."

Tony turned toward the door, phone at the ready.

"Okay guys, on the count of three, we open the door. One, two, three!"

** TBC... **   



	6. Chapter 6

_ "On the count of three… one, two , three!"  _

Tony ripped the crucifix from the glass, and Balboa turned off the radiation alarm. The door slid open. The demon was standing not 10 feet from Tony's position, glaring at him as if he were food. Tony shoved the cell phone at Jimmy.

"You're going to read the incantation, Palmer." 

"Me?"

"Yeah, just read it. Balboa and I will take care of Abby."

"O-okay." 

Feral growling turned Tony's full attention to the demon possessing Abby. His friend's eyes were solid black, and the look on her face was unlike anything he'd seen before.

The demon jumped at Tony, knocking him to the floor. Before it could latch onto him, Balboa wrapped his arms around Abby's small frame and pulled her body back. Tony jumped up and attempted to help Balboa hold her still. 

"Palmer! Read the damn thing!" 

Jimmy held the iPhone in his shaking hand, and began to read the incantation. 

__

_ Exorcizamus   te ,  omnis immundus spiritus _

_ omnis satanica  potestas ,  omnis  incursio _

_ infernalis  adversarii ,  omnis  legio , _

_ omnis  congregatio et  secta diabolica . _

_ Ergo  draco  maledicte _

_ et  omnis legio diabolica _

_ adjuramus  te . _

_ Cessa  decipere  humanas  creaturas , _

_ eisque aeternae Perditionis venenum propinare _

"Vile humans!" the Demon screamed. "You will all die!" 

Jimmy gulped and kept reading. 

_ Vade,  Satana , inventor et magister _

_ omnis  fallaciae ,  hostis humanae  salutis . _

_ Humiliare sub  potenti  manu dei , _

_ contremisce et  effuge ,  invocato a _

_ nobis  sancto et  terribili nomine, _

_ quem  inferi tremunt . _

The Demon shoved Tony backward and tried to crawl toward Jimmy. Tony jumped for it, and latched onto Abby's ankle. The demon started to kick, hard. Despite a few blows to the face, Tony held onto her ankle tightly. 

"I've got her, Palmer! Keep reading!"

_ Ab  insidiis diaboli ,  libera nos ,  Domine . _

_ Ut Ecclesiam  tuam secura tibi facias  libertate  servire _

_ te rogamus ,  audi nos. _

_ Ut  inimicos  sanctae Ecclesiae  humiliare  digneris , _

_ te rogamus ,  audi nos.  _

The demon screamed and writhed in pain. Tony watched as Abby's skin seemed to sizzle, as black smoke seeped from her skin.

_ Terribilis Deus de  sanctuario  suo . _

_ Deus  Israhel ipse  truderit virtutem _

_ et  fortitudinem  plebi Suae . _

_ Benedictus  deus . Gloria  patri ! _

As Jimmy spoke the last word, the Demon screamed at the top of Abby's lungs, and the three men watched as Abby went into convulsions. The demon smoke poured out of her and gathered into a cloud above her. Seconds later, it exploded, and was gone. 

Balboa sat on the floor next to Abby, still in shock at what he had just seen.  DiNozzo hadn't been lying when he said Abby was possessed. 

"You all right, Balboa?" Tony asked, from his spot on the floor a few feet away. 

"I will be. Give me a minute, kid."

Tony nodded and crawled over to Abby. She was unconscious.

"She's not moving, Jimmy," Tony said, worried.

Jimmy was frozen in place, shaking like a leaf.

"It's all right, Jimmy. The demon is gone. It's just Abby now, I promise." 

Jimmy nodded and went to his unconscious friend. He returned Tony's phone as he kneeled next to Abby and took her vitals. 

"She's breathing fine, and her heart rate is normal. Let's make her comfortable until she wakes up."

"I'll get her futon," Tony offered. He ran into Abby's office and came back with her roll-out futon, and a pillow and blanket. He rolled it out and situated the sleeping materials. He picked up Abby and laid her down on the futon, and covered her with the blanket. 

"Now what, Palmer?" Tony asked.

"We let her sleep. That  thing  probably took a toll on her body while it was possessing her. We'll just have to wait for her to wake up."

Tony looked down at Abby. She was sleeping soundly, as if nothing had ever happened. If only he'd been able to get through that damn door, she wouldn't be laying there in front of him. 

A hand on his shoulder brought him back from his musings.

"Do you want me to stay?" Balboa asked gently.

"No thanks, Al. I'll sit with her." 

Balboa nodded and got to his feet.

"If you need anything, you know my number."

Tony nodded, and Balboa left the lab. Tony and Jimmy started their vigil, waiting for Abby to awaken.

** NCISNCISNCISNCIS **

When  Ziva whipped into a parking spot in the hospital parking garage, Ducky let out the breath he'd been holding and got out of the car.

"We must hurry." 

Ziva nodded and they hurried to the elevator. It seemed to ascend slower than normal as they waited impatiently, Ducky clutching the old book in his hands.  When it finally dinged at their floor,  Ziva was out in the hall before the doors had opened all the way. Ducky followed as fast as his legs could take him. A nurse stopped them halfway down the hall.

"Where do you think you're going?" she said, crossing her arms.

Ziva pulled out her badge.

"NCIS. You will tell me where Timothy McGee's room is, or I will arrest you for obstruction!" 

The nurse pointed down the hall.

"Room 2010-C."

"Thank you."

Ziva ran down the hall, Ducky at her heels. As they approached the room, they could hear banging and shouting inside.  Ziva burst through the door, Ducky right behind her. Gibbs was on the floor, leaning against the wall. Tim was in his bed, fully conscious and cowering in fear.  Ziva's eyes went wide when she saw the black cloud hovering above her friend's body.

"Ducky, read the incantation," she said, rushing to Tim's side. Tim grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the bed with him. 

" Ziva , what the hell is going on!" he shrieked. 

"It is a demon," she said. "Ducky is going to exorcise it."

"Don't let it near me… please…" Tim said, latching onto  Ziva's arm. 

"I am here, McGee. It will not get past me." 

Ducky started to read the incantation. The smoke did not seem to be affected. Concerned, he kept reading. The smoke still hovered over Tim and  Ziva . 

"Why isn't it working, Ducky!"  Tim shouted, terrified.

"This one is stronger than the others," Ducky said. He flipped through his book and stopped at another page. He started to read a different incantation. It had no effect on the demon cloud.

"I don't understand…" 

"Maybe that only works if the person is actually possessed," Gibbs offered, finally pulling himself to his feet. "We're going to have to let it possess someone, before we can send it packing." 

"Absolutely not, Jethro! I won't risk someone's life--" Ducky was cut off as the book went flying from his hands. 'What in the--" he backed up a bit, frightened at what just happened. Suddenly, the door to the room opened behind them, and a doctor came in.

"What's going on in here--" the Doctor was cut off as the smoke rammed itself inside of his body. When the smoke was gone, the door to Tim's hospital room slammed shut, trapping them all inside.

** TBC... **   



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Author's Note: All incantations are taken from www.supernaturalwiki.com. Thanks to DNAchemLia for pointing me in the right direction!_

  
Everyone stood frozen in their places. The Demon looked around at each person,  as if he were analyzing them. Gibbs stood by the wall, chest heaving. Ducky stood motionless at the end of the bed, the book lying a few feet away on the floor. Tim and  Ziva were still on the bed, her hand clamped around his. 

Gibbs decided he'd had enough of this nonsense. He tried to go for the book that was lying on the floor, but the demon intercepted him. As quickly as he'd moved forward, he felt himself flying backward, in the air, and hit the wall.  He  was terrified to find himself pinned there, unable to move. 

"The book is mine!" the Demon said. The voice of the Doctor was gone, replaced by a growling, deep voice. 

"What do you want from us!" Ducky shouted, to get the Demon's attention. The demon took its focus off Gibbs for a moment, and Gibbs sunk to the floor, unconscious.

"Boss!" Tim shouted, attempting to get out of bed. The demon waved a hand, and Tim felt himself pushed back down into the bed, and held there.

"Do not move!" Tim looked on in fear as the Demon turned back to Ducky. "You have already given us what we wanted," the demon said. "You freed us. Now, you will die."

"Your friends have been exorcised,"  Ziva said, matter-of-factly, getting off the bed. "You are alone. You think you can take over all of humankind by yourself?" 

"They have served the purpose of their existence. "

"What is that?"  Ziva asked. 

"Their sole purpose was to accompany me into your world. Now that I am free, and I have claimed my vessel, I no longer require their existence."

"Is that what you do? When something or someone has served a purpose, you  exterminate it?"

"You are very astute. Perhaps I should have chosen you as my vessel."

"That is not an option."

Ziva took a few steps forward, and stopped when the Demon growled at her, and started to advance toward her. Ducky took the opportunity to snatch up the book. He frantically flipped through the pages, and came across a new spell.

_ Omni  potentis Dei  potestatem  invoco , _

_ omni  potentis Dei  potestatem  invoco , _

_ abrogo terra, _

_ hoc  angelorum in  obse  quentum , _

_ Domine  expuere , _

_ Domine expuere , _

_ unde  abeo Dei per… _

The demon stopped in its tracks, and the doctor's body started to writhe. The demon was definitely affected. Ducky flipped the page and read another spell. 

_ Exorcizamus  te ,  omnis  immundus  spiritus , _

_ omnis satanica  potestas ,  omnis  incursio  infernalis adversarii , _

_ omnis  congregatio et  secta diabolica . _

__

_ Ergo,  draco  maledicte . _

_ Ecclesiam  tuam  securi  tibi  facias  libertate  servire , _

_ te  rogamus ,  audi nos. _

The demon dropped to the ground, writhing and screaming. Tim, now loose, reached out and pulled  Ziva back toward the bed as the Demon writhed in pain. Black smoke started to rise out of the Doctor's body. 

Ducky turned the page, and found a third spell. He'd keep reading spells until the demon was gone, and he didn't care how long it took. 

_ Exorcizamus  te ,  omnis  immundus  spiritus _

_ omnis satanica potestas ,  omnis  incursio _

_ infernalis  adversarii ,  omnis  legio , _

_ omnis congregatio et  secta  diabolica . _

__

_ Ergo  draco  maledicte _

_ et  omnis  legio  diabolica  adjuramus  te . _

_ cessa  decipere  humanas  creaturas , _

_ eisque  aeternae Perditionis  venenum  propinare . _

_ Humiliare sub  potenti manu Dei-- _

Ducky was stopped short as the demon screamed, as if it were being tortured.  Smoke started billowing into the room from the Doctor's body. Ducky turned the page and read one more spell, for good measure.

_ Exorcizamus  te ,  omnis immundus  spiritus ... _

_ hanc  animam  redintegra ... _

_ lustratus ! _

_ lustratus ! _

The Doctor's body went limp as the smoke hovered in the air over Tim's bed, then exploded. The Demon was gone.

** NCISNCISNCISNCIS **

Tony sat on the floor in Abby's lab as she slept soundly. It had been two hours, and she still hadn't come back to them. Tony was beginning to think he'd never get his friend back. 

He looked down at the Crucifix that he held in his hand. Had this been the reason he'd been the only one not affected by the demons? While everyone else was suffering, he sat there without a scratch… other than the bruises on his face from being kicked by Abby's platform boots.  It was well-deserved; he couldn't stop the demon from possessing her, no matter how hard he tried, and now he was sitting at her side, waiting for her to wake up.

If she ever did.

"Tony."

Tony looked up as Jimmy sat down next to him. He handed Tony a coffee.

"You looked like you could use a cup."

"Thanks."

"She's going to be all right, Tony. We just need to wait it out."

"I could have stopped that thing - I was right there.  I let her get possessed. And  Ziva in the squad room-- I should've seen the signs."

"There is no possible way this is your fault, Tony." 

"Listen--" Tony was interrupted by his cell phone. " DiNozzo ." 

_ "Tony! Are you all right?"  _

"McGee! You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice. What the hell happened to you?"

_ "There was something here Tony - it possessed a Doctor. It knocked Gibbs unconscious and pinned me to the bed. It was going to kill  Ziva , and everyone else. If Ducky hadn't read all those spells - " _

"Spells? There were more?"

_ "It took five different ones to get rid of whatever was here." _

"How is Gibbs? And the Doctor?"

_ "They're both going to be fine. The Doctor has no idea what happened to him. How are you guys?" _

"Palmer and I are fine, but I have something to tell you, Tim."

_ "What's the matter? Oh  God, don’t' tell me--"  _

"One of the demons - it got Abby.  I tried to stop the demon, or whatever the hell it was. It locked me out of the lab. I-I couldn't get to her in time. It possessed her." 

_ "Oh God…" _

"I’m sorry, Tim."

_ "I have to get back there to see her." _

"Palmer and I are here with her.  I'm not going to leave her side," he said, reaching out and taking Abby's hand in his. "I'll stay by her as long as it takes."

** TBC **


	8. Chapter 8

  


_ four hours later...  _

Jimmy sat silently with Tony as Abby slept soundly. He'd seen a lot of things since he started working at NCIS, but he'd never encountered anything like they'd experienced in the past 24 hours. He knew Abby was going to be okay... it was just a matter of her waking up at this point. He'd tried to convince Tony of that, to no avail.

Tony was seated next to Abby, clutching her limp hand in his. He seemed to have forgotten that Jimmy was still in the room with him. He wasn't sure how to get through to Tony. Ducky was the psychologist, not him.

The lab doors swished open, and Jimmy looked up. Ducky came into the lab. Jimmy got to his feet and met him in the middle of the room.

"How are you, Doctor?" 

"I am fine, Jimmy. How is Tony faring?"

"He hasn't left Abby's side in hours. I-I don’t know what to do."

"Tim told me everything. I take it that Tony feels responsible for what happened to Abby?" 

Jimmy nodded.

"That--that  _ thing  _ locked him out of the lab and he had to watch it possess her." 

"I can't imagine what he was feeling."

"How is everyone else?" 

"Everyone is fine. Tim should be released in the morning, and Agent Gibbs was in the ER when I left, getting stitched up." 

"So these things are gone for good?"

"One can only hope." 

Ducky looked over Jimmy's shoulder at Tony. He was sitting on the ground, Abby's hand clutched in his own.

"Let me talk to Tony alone for a moment." 

"All right. I'll go on another coffee run." 

Jimmy left the Lab, and Ducky made his way over to Tony and Abby. He knelt next to his young friend.

"How is she?" 

"Ducky... you're--"

"Quite all right," he said, smiling. "I'm more interested in how  _ you _ are doing."

"I let this happen to her, Ducky. It's my fault she's lying here right now. She could have died!" 

"From what Mr. Palmer has told me, you were locked out of the lab, and couldn't get to her."

"I tried to get to her! I even shot the glass... nothing broke it. It took her body, and I had to stand there and watch." 

"I'm sure Abigail will not hold it against you. The two of you have been friends for a long time... too long to let something like this come between you."

"She almost died because of me! I wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore if I were her."

A muffled moan shut Tony up, and he whipped his head around to look at Abby. Moments later, he felt her hand squeeze his.

"Abby?" 

Abby blinked, and opened her eyes.

"Tony? Why am I on the floor?"

Tony helped her sit up, and Ducky examined her. 

"What do you remember?" 

Abby stilled for a moment, lost in a memory.

  
_ "Tony! Help!" she shouted as a wall of black smoke forced her to the back of her lab. She could see Tony pounding on the glass door to her lab, trying desperately to open it. She could hear his muffled screams as he punched and kicked the bulletproof glass.  _

__

_ "Abby!" she heard him shout, just before the smoke surrounded her. Her last conscious image was Tony with his arms splayed on the glass, tears running down his face. _

  
"That black smoke... it was a demon, wasn't it?"

Tony nodded.

"Abby, I'm so sorry. I should have stopped it."

"There was nothing you could have done. That glass is bulletproof. Even Gibbs wouldn't be able to break it."

Tears started to slip down Tony's cheeks.

"I was supposed to have your six. You asked for my help, and I failed you."

Abby pulled him into a hug.

"You didn't fail. You got it out of me, and you saved my life. If you hadn't, I might have died while that thing was in me."

Tony's tears didn't allow him a response. He cried on Abby's shoulder as they sat on the futon, holding each other. 

Ducky got up and slowly left the room. Tony and Abby would need some time alone.

** ~*~*~*~*~*~ **

The doctors had fussed and left, ushering Gibbs and the formerly-possessed Doctor down to the ER for examination.  Ziva had gone to get a cup of coffee from the vending machine down the hall. Tim found himself alone for the first time in days.

He took in the state of the room. Hospital supplies were all over the place, and the wall was cracked where Gibbs had been thrown against it. Tim could still see his Boss there, practically floating inches above the floor. He remembered the Doctor's maniacal laugh, and Ducky's frantic reading in Latin. He remembered the black smoke as it filled the air and dissipated. Was it really gone? For good?

He was broken from his thoughts by movement at the door. Gibbs stepped into the room, a bandage on his head.

"How are you doing?" Tim asked him immediately.

"Just a bump on the head. I'll be fine." Gibbs sat down in a chair next to Tim's bed. "How are you?" 

"Physically, fine. The doctor is coming back with my release paperwork."

"Mentally?"

"I'm scared. I don't want this thing to come back, Boss. It was that easy for whoever drew those symbols to let them into our world. What if someone does it again, and they come back?" 

"We won't be taking that case." 

Tim chuckled nervously as the Doctor joined them.

"You're good to go, Mr. McGee. Take some time off from work and rest, and you'll be good as new in a week."

"Thank you." 

The Doctor left the papers and exited the room as a nurse came in with a wheelchair.

"Do I really need that?" He whined.

"Hospital protocol. Everyone has to do it, sir."

Tim groaned and got up to go and change. 

** END **


End file.
